unresponsive co-workers

[Moonlight J]

I can appreciate busy workloads for everyone, but how in the @#$@$ do you deal with colleagues that you constantly have to pester to get an answer from? I have several BIG issues out there since Thursday and I am still waiting to get an acknowledgment from the people on those projects at this time.

Given I'm the lucky one that gets to make the direct customer contact, I'm also the one blamed for the delayed responses.

advice?

[johnnya24]

I immediately assumed this was a Mith thread. Apologies.

[johnnya24]

Many moons ago I had a job were I was stuck on a team with 2 guys who basically didn't want to do any work. They had crazy ironclad contracts ... which meant they'd have murder someone to have a chance of getting fired. I didn't. So I was left with the option of doing all the work myself, or losing my job. I decided to use the time to find another job.

[johnnya24]

I can appreciate busy workloads for everyone, but how in the @#$@$ do you deal with colleagues that you constantly have to pester to get an answer from? I have several BIG issues out there since Thursday and I am still waiting to get an acknowledgment from the people on those projects at this time.

Given I'm the lucky one that gets to make the direct customer contact, I'm also the one blamed for the delayed responses.

advice?

Time to be an a$$hole?

[heyelander]

is their blood sugar low? Give them a twinkie.

[baldgriff]

Copy yours adn their Direct Supervisors when asking for updates and document the number of times you have asked for the information....

Make your problem their problem, because their Manager doesnt want his staff being pointed at.... Your problem is not just your problem - it is everyone's problem.

[SeaDogStat]

is their blood sugar low? Give them a twinkie.

Are you giving out Twinkies? I want a Twinkie!

[chancellor]

Having sat on both sides of this fence, first as a technical support rep and then in sales, I'd say baldgriff is right after a certain point. As a technical support rep, we had good sales people - ones who gave clear requests and timelines for answers, and the "groaners" who gave requests for info that required cryptographic skills to decode and wanted answers yesterday. If you can provide your support team the answers to these three basic questions - What do I need? Why do I need it? By when do I need it? - then you've given them the potential to succeed.

Johnny makes a good point, too - are there specific types of requests they constantly fall down on? If so, it probably points to an individual or three who isn't able or willing to do what you need them to.

If you're sure the requests are clear and realistic, then baldgriff's solution comes into play.

[Roto Rooter]

Call 911

[ironfist]

Slip a ghost pepper into their lunches...

[Erik]

Sic Bhob on them. Tell Bhob they're Red Sox fans.

[Judge Jude]

I agree on "cc their supervisors" - at what point, you decide.

[Gregg]

I actually deal with this issue almost everyday.

I call the individual on the phone so there is no paper trail. I tell them I need their help on the 2 or3 emails for the same request that I have sent to them. I tell them that it is an issue that is going to blow up and I didn't want them to be in the line of fire. If it is within their scope of getting it done my issue rises to the top.

Sometimes they grumble and say I don't care. At this time I say are you sure because your supervisor will be getting a call. So just make sure you have your self covered. We are a team and I do not want you getting in trouble.

This almost always gets me my answer.

Now the important part. Once I get my answer, I email their boss with a cc. to my boss telling them that so and so did a great job and helped me out of a jam (even if it was just doing their job as they put mine up front). This usually gets me my answers in a timely manner from then on in.

[Lucky]

I actually deal with this issue almost everyday.

I call the individual on the phone so there is no paper trail. I tell them I need their help on the 2 or3 emails for the same request that I have sent to them. I tell them that it is an issue that is going to blow up and I didn't want them to be in the line of fire. If it is within their scope of getting it done my issue rises to the top.

Sometimes they grumble and say I don't care. At this time I say are you sure because your supervisor will be getting a call. So just make sure you have your self covered. We are a team and I do not want you getting in trouble.

This almost always gets me my answer.

Now the important part. Once I get my answer, I email their boss with a cc. to my boss telling them that so and so did a great job and helped me out of a jam (even if it was just doing their job as they put mine up front). This usually gets me my answers in a timely manner from then on in.

I think this is a great answer. If you are dealing with halfway reasonable people, it should work just about every time.

[johnnya24]

I actually deal with this issue almost everyday.

I call the individual on the phone so there is no paper trail. I tell them I need their help on the 2 or3 emails for the same request that I have sent to them. I tell them that it is an issue that is going to blow up and I didn't want them to be in the line of fire. If it is within their scope of getting it done my issue rises to the top.

Sometimes they grumble and say I don't care. At this time I say are you sure because your supervisor will be getting a call. So just make sure you have your self covered. We are a team and I do not want you getting in trouble.

This almost always gets me my answer.

Now the important part. Once I get my answer, I email their boss with a cc. to my boss telling them that so and so did a great job and helped me out of a jam (even if it was just doing their job as they put mine up front). This usually gets me my answers in a timely manner from then on in.

This is a very reasoned, tactical, well thought out, conciliatory way to solve the problem.

This is the opposite of how I would deal with it